TMXqt™ Frequently Asked Questions

How will TMXqt affect my ROI?

By adding TMXqt to your project, you will quickly and efficiently put the power of QTP into more hands. TMXqt allows your non-programmers to get directly involved in the creation and maintenance of the automated tests without having to learn QTP. They will create the fully annotated tests in TMXqt and save them to the common QTP library, where they will be executed by QTP. This means you can have more people creating the QTP executable tests in TMXqt without having to increase the number of QTP licenses.

I’ve already paid thousands to get QTP installed. Why should I invest more?

QTP is expensive in terms of time, license costs, annual maintenance, and training. Take advantage of that investment by pushing more through it. With TMXqt added to your implementation, your entire QA Team can create fully annotated and executable tests that are then run on your existing QTP installation. You don’t need additional QTP licenses to get your entire team involved in the automation process.

How will TMXqt expand my QTP implementation?

The easiest concept is that you don’t need QTP to create QTP tests. You do need it to execute the tests, but the creation and maintenance can be done using TMXqt at a fraction of the cost. Then the fully executable tests are run through QTP, where the results are gathered and analyzed.

What sort of training will be needed to get my QA analysts up to speed?

Typically, TMXqt training is presented to the non-programming QA analysts as a single five-hour training program. This provides them with the necessary skill set to start being productive and effective automation testers.

How can I make my current QTP implementation more effective?

Simple. Get more people involved in the creation and maintenance of automated tests. This is done by getting your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), the people that know the business requirements and the Application Under Test (AUT), to take over the creation of the tests. By doing this in TMXqt, they don’t need to understand or know the underlying layers of technology, but instead work with the intuitive “point-and-click” interface in TMXqt to create the fully annotated test scripts that are then saved to the common test database. The tests are then executed by your Automation Engineers in QTP.

Mercury says that QTP uses “keywords.” What makes the TMXqt approach any more effective?

TMXqt uses true keyword actions. These are easily understood as the activity that you want to perform on a selected object. In TMXqt, that means when you are creating a test, you first select the object (or field) from the list of objects available for your window, screen, or application. Then select the action you want to perform on that object. TMXqt provides you with a list of the keyword actions applicable for that object.

For instance, you want to verify that a radio button on your page is set on. In TMXqt, you select the radio button. TMXqt provides four actions that are available: set on, set off, verify on, and verify off. You select the one for “verify on.” TMXqt does the rest.

TMXqt also provides the capability to quickly create custom processes, something that is difficult and time-consuming in QTP. These customized processes allow your team to create multiple activities in one test step. Creating a process, such as logging into a test environment, then the AUT with a specific user ID, password, and account code, can be a lengthy endeavor in QTP. TMXqt simplifies the process and makes it available to all users as one step in a test case.

Why should I add yet another “layer” onto my already complex automation processes?

QTP promised a new world of automation in which anyone could start creating automated tests. But look at your test team. How many are really using it? Of those, how many are the non-technical/non-programmers in your test team? Have the business analysts been able to get up to speed on QTP quickly and effectively? Are they able to create the amount of automated tests you were expecting from them?

How can TMXqt make QTP easier?

The unique “point-and-click” interface that TMXqt provides makes it easier and faster for your non-programmers to start creating and maintaining fully annotated QTP executable tests. They don’t need to get bogged down in layer upon layer of technology in order to create tests in TMXqt. Nor do they have to spend days in training just to start being productive. With TMXqt, your automation team will start testing more, better, faster, and for less than they could with QTP alone.

What about training? How do I get my team up to speed?

You’ll find that using TMXqt’s unique point-and-click interface is easy and straightforward. Now you can get your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) involved in the creation of your test cases and have your more experienced QA engineers working on the QTP/AUT (Application Under Test)—as they should be. This makes your test case more appropriate to what is being tested.

Training can be conducted in person or over the Internet. Some of our customers have utilized the TMXqt Video Tours and the Using TMXqt Guide as the basis for training, and have had their QA team building comprehensive test cases on the very first day following installation.